Weighting and unweighting device for drafting rolls



H. J. wooDs 2,492,082 WEIGHTING AND UNWEIGHTING DEVICE FOR DRAFTING ROLLS Flled Feb 11, 1946 Dec. 20, 1949 Patented Dec. 20, 1949 WEIGHTING AND UNWEIGHTING DEVICE FOR DRAFTING ROLLS Herbert J. Woods, Greensboro, N. 0., assignor to Burlington Mills Corporation, county of New Castle, Del.

Application February 11, 1946, Serial No. 646,761

4 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in spin- .ning machinery, and more particularly to a weighting and unweighting device for drafting rolls of such machinery. It has been found that it ismost desirable to be able to release quickly the weight applied to drafting rollers for the reason that drafting rollers are covered with soft material such as combinations of flannel and leather, cork, rubber, synthetic rubber and synthetic plastic materials. All these materials are plastic and compressible to a degree, and in the event rolls are left stopped and weighted, a flat place at the point of contact of the two rolls seriously interferes with the continuity of the spinning operation at such time as the machines are again started. Such a flat place would eventually become rolled out to normalcy, giving trouble meanwhile.

In order to avoid the formation of such fiat places on soft drafting rolls the present device was designed to permit the immediate relief of the weight from the soft covered upper roller during any period when the machine is left standing, avoiding concentration of the weight on a comparatively small area of the surface of the roll.

The primary object of the invention is accordingly to provide improved means for the application or release of weight or pressure to the means whereby the upper drafting roll and associated mechanism may be readily removed without the use of outside tools.

In accordance with the present invention a pressure adjusting cam lever is pivotally mounted in operative relation to the roll tensioning or weighting means, which lever when in one position is arranged to apply tension to the rolls, while in another position tension is relieved. Tension may be adjusted to take up slack due to wear of the rolls by using the lever as a wrench or by turning the lever in the opposite direction the lever and associated mechanism may be removed, thus permitting removal of the upper drafting roll.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view partly in section showing a pair of drafting rolls equipped with my improved tensioning means, the cam lever being shciwn in a position for applying tension to the rol s;

Fig. 2 is a detail fragmentary view of the operating cam lever and associated parts in the pressure applying position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the cam lever and associated parts in pressure releasing position and illustrating also the means by which pressure may be adjusted or the cam lever and associated mechanism removed.

Referring to the drawings, a pair of drafting rolls are indicated at 3 and 5, which rolls may be of conventional type employed in. spinning machinery. The upper roll 3 is provided with a soft covering 4 of any suitable material. Both of the rolls are carried by the spinning frame in any suitable manner, the soft covered roll 3 being mounted for movement toward or from the roll 5 when pressure is applied or released, as is well understood in the art.

When pressure is to be applied to the roll 3 this may be accomplished by means of a hook portion of a bearing or saddle member 2 slidable on a holder rod 6, the lower end of which rod is shown as releasably attached to a bracket 1 carried by a portion of the frame 8 of the machine. The hook portion of the slidable member 2 is adapted to engage a reduced portion on the shaft l of the roll 3.

Pressure may be applied to the slidlable hook member 2 by means of a helical spring 9, the lower portion of which engages the slidable member 2 while the upper portion is adapted to engage a slidable washer or the like In the upper surface of which is adapted to be engaged by a cam lever l2 pivotally and adjustably mounted on the screw threaded upper end of the rod 6. This is accomplished by means of a threaded pintle ll screwed onto the threaded portion of the rod 6. As shown, the lever I2 is forked at its lower portion and is pivoted to the pintle II, the lower ends of the forked portion being rounded to provide a cam for engagement with the washer 10.

Operation Referring to Fig. 1 it will be noted that when the lever I2 is in upright position pressure is ap plied to the washer by means of the rounded ends of the forked portion of the pivoted lever l2 and thence pressure is applied through spring 9 and the slidable hook member 2 to the roll 3. Pressure may be released by moving the lever l2 sidewise in either direction as illustrated, for example, in Figr3. Adjustment may 'be provided by rotating the lever in one direction so as to compensate for wear on the rolls, the lever then acting as a wrench and serving to screw the pintle downwardly upon the threaded end of the rod 6.

To remove the upper "roll and 3 associated mechanism the lever is rotated in sucndirection as to unscrew pintle member l -fromtheithreaded upper end of the rod 6, a fter-Whi'ch'the washer I6, spring 9 and hook member 2 may be removed. Thereupon the rod 6 may be-removed fromthe bracket 1 by rotating the said rod about the hooked end portion and then releasing the hook.

The drafting rolls are then accessible and the upper roll may-be =readily' remov'ed"without the use of outside tools. The partsmay be replaced "by asimi-arseries of voperationsin the reverse order.

'- The present device differs from weighting dei vices'in common use inthe industry by having a -means-of weight application without-the use of -whole removal may -be effected lay-suitably rooutsidetools and the featureofweight-release also without the use of tools. Further in this connection, adjustment to the weight applied may be made-without the use of tools. In theevent of complete disassembly of the=unlt,'which maybe ---r-iecessit-atecl by desire-to remove the soft covered roller and; associatedmechanism, the

tating the cam lever 42 in a counter-clockwise direction since the bolt andthe pintle are-thread- 'ed with right-hand-threads.

"The present device further difiersfrom'-anything used in the industry at the present time inasmuch'as weight releaseaccomplished at present why-the useofa nut on a rod,=such--as=rod-6, compressingthe springby being screwed on the end of the rodagainst a-wasliersuch' as !8. -When weight relief is accomplished by theconventional --nut wrench being-used, all adjustment -is lost and. it is necessary when reeapplication of the weightis made, to -useconsiderable judgment by trial and error-inorder to secure the correct weighting. -With thisnew and usefuLdevice-it is. possible by merely tripping the -carn-lever-rby i drawing, roving,

\ handto relieveth 'weight at-any-time, and

when -reappiicationis desired. to --re-attain the critically-adjusted weight sim-ply .by moving the lever in a vertical position.

'It is further apparent that-the life -of the soft roller covering-may be, greatly extended .bysuch weight relief.

The present invention may be usefully applied are passed through-the nip ofweighted rollers.

'Q The inventionhas been" described in detail for V the purpose of illustration, but it will-be obvious "that numerous modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

- I claimz 1; In a drafting apparatus forfzs'pinning-macam lever pivotally mounted upon said rod chinery including a frame, a pair of drafting rolls mounted on parallel axes, at least one of Which is mounted for movement toward or away from the other, and means for applying and releasing pressure to and from said movable roll, comprising a rod supported at one end by said frame, a member slidable' uponsaid'rod having a portion adapted to engage said movable roll, a'spring engaging said slidable member and means for compressing and releasing said spring, comprising a "adapted in one position to apply pressure and in another position to release pressure, said rod having a threaded portion at the upper end thereof, a pin'tle member for said cam lever adjustably mounted'upon said threaded portion whereby removal of the cam lever or adjustment for wear of the rolls is permitted.

2. In a drafting apparatus for spinning machinery including a frame, a pair of drafting rollsmoun'ted'- on parallel" axes, at least one of i which is mounted for movement toward or away fromthe'other, and" means for applying and-releasing pressure to and from :said movable roll, comprising a rod supported -at"one. end by said frame, a member-slidable upon said: "rod'iha-ving a portion adapted to engage said movablexsroll, a-spring engaging said slidable member and means f or compressing and releasing said spring; comprising a cam lever pivotallyflmount'ed: upon "said rod-adapted in one position do applyi pressure and in another position to release .pressurefisaid rod having a threaded portionat the-upper nd thereof, a pintle member for "said' ca'mlever-tadjustably mounted upon sa'id threaded'Q'pOrtion whereby removal of the dam leveror adjustment for" wear of therolls' is permitted; said rodbeing releasably secured to the frame of thezma'chine,

- and removable therefrom after" remo'val of said mounted on said-frame on parallel axes, at least "one of which is 'mount'ed 'for movement toward or away 'from' the other,- and means for applying and releasing pressure to and from said movable roll, comprising ah'older rod having a hook-portion-releasablysupportedbysaidframe; a saddle Ell member slidable upon' said rod 1 having a portion adapted to-eng a'ge-said movable roll; a spring engaging said slidable member and means-for'oompressing and releasing said spring, comprising a forked cam lever"pivotallyimounted at' the upper endof said rod and adapted inone position to apply pressure to said movable roll'and in another positionto'release' pressure therefrom,

said rodhaving a threaded portion atthe upper uponsaid holder rod having a portion adapted toengagesaid-roll; a spring mounted 'on said end th'e'reof', a pintle memberfor said cam lever adjustably mounted upon saidthreaded-portion wherebyremoval of'the cam lever or adjustment for wear of the'rolls is permitted.

4. In a drafting apparatusfOr spinnin 'machinery including a frame, upper and lower drafting rolls'mounted on'parallel axes,"the upper roll being mounted for movement" toward or away from the other, and means'forf applying and releasing pressure-to and from said upper roll,

-comprising a holder rod supported at one end by the spinning frame, a saddle memberslidable I rod and engaging said slidable member-atone end and means for: compressingtand releasing REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Dawson Dec. 28, 1880 Sack Nov. 17, 1903 Vales et al. Oct. 2, 1917 Spring Aug. 22, 1933 West July 15, 1941 Hendrickson Nov. 10, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Apr. 20, 1922 

